Kvistaberg Observatory

Story

The Kvistaberg Observatory is an observatory in Sweden belonging to the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University and located between Uppsala and Stockholm, at almost equal distance from both cities.HistoryThe observatory was the result of a donation in 1944 from Nils Tamm, an artist who had studied astronomy in his youth under Nils Christoffer Dunér and Östen Bergstrand in Uppsala and remained an avid amateur astronomer throughout his life.Through the work of professor Åke Wallenquist and professor Gunnar Malmquist at the observatory in Uppsala, the new observatory was fitted out with a large Schmidt telescope (100/135/300cm) in 1963. Wallenquist became the first director of the observatory (1948-1970) and was succeeded by Tarmo Oja (1970-1999) and later Claes-Ingvar Lagerkvist (1999-2007).Around 2004, Uppsala University decided to discontinue active research at the observatory. The property was sold to the municipality of Upplands-Bro, where Kvistaberg is situated. The domes and telescopes are now part of a museum, which was inaugurated in 2009.